High School

Two Iowa Prep Linebackers Ranked Among Nation’s Best

Julian Manson, Kasen Thomas both among Top 10 LBs in country

Dana Becker

Iowa City West’s Julian Manson (3) celebrates after West’s defense stops Pleasant Valley on a third and goal Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa City West’s Julian Manson (3) celebrates after West’s defense stops Pleasant Valley on a third and goal Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Two future University of Iowa teammates on the football field are currently dominating the Iowa high school football scene.

Iowa City West senior Julian Manson and Sioux City Bishop Heelan senior Kasen Thomas are both ranked among the Top 10 linebackers by Rivals, who recently released the Rivals 300.

Manson comes in as the No. 3 linebacker in the country while Thomas is ranked 10th. Florida State commit Izayia Williams of Florida is first while Tyler Atkinson from Georgia, who has committed to Texas, is No. 2.

Julian Manson Carrying on Family Legacy with Hawkeyes

Manson has recorded 12 tackles with six solo stops, an interception and two passes defended. On offense, he has caught five passes for 48 yards with a rushing touchdown and recorded a pancake block.

Last year, Manson 52 passes for 867 yards and a team-leading 13 touchdowns. He had 86.5 tackles while averaging 20 yards per kickoff return.

Iowa City West heads to Bettendorf on Friday night. 

This past June, Manson made his commitment to Iowa official, joining his father, Jason Manson, who was a quarterback for the Hawkeyes. Janson Manson currently works as the Director of Player Development with the football program under Kirk Ferentz.

Manson selected the Hawkeyes over offers from Kansas State, Arizona, Minnesota and schools from the Mid-American Conference.

Kasen Thomas Having Strong Senior Year for Crusaders

Thomas already has four tackles for loss and a sack on defense among his 11.5 stops, adding three fumble recoveries. On offense, he has rushed for 303 yards and seven touchdowns on 52 attempts, adding three receptions for 37 yards.

As a junior, Thomas ran for 1,841 yards and scored 26 rushing touchdowns, averaging over nine yards per carry. He also racked up 44.5 tackles with 15.5 for loss and 5.5 sacks.

Sioux City Bishop Heelan looks to rebound from a tough double-overtime loss to Sioux City East when they play Sioux City North Friday night.

Thomas held offers from Iowa State, Arizona and Nebraska, but Iowa won out. He is a two-time all-state selection for Sioux City Bishop Heelan.

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Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in northcentral Iowa and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in 2022 focused on the state of Iowa. Along with providing coverage of football and wrestling, Dana also spotlights cross country, swimming, basketball, track and field, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball and softball. He began writing for High School on SI in 2023.

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